Students donate to food pantryThe third grade class at St. John Catholic School in Russellville collected food for The Harvest House Food Pantry. The food donation was made in honor of classroom volunteer Mary Lou Wilkinson.

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THE COURIER / SubmittedThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

P.E.O. members enjoy Christmas brunchMembers of Chapter AH, P.E.O met for a Christmas brunch on Dec. 12 at the Lake Point Conference Center. A love offering was collected in honor of Martha Williams, a charter member of Chapter AH. The $1,000 Martha Williams Community Scholarship will be presented to a Russellville High School senior at the Celebration of Excellence in May.

Second annual CASA Christmas Party heldCASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of the 5th Judicial District brought the joy of Christmas to Pope County foster kids on Dec. 11. The annual party was made possible by the generosity of a local Giving Tree Grant, a sponsorship by ConAgra, Russellville’s Junior Auxiliary and many other members of the community. One of the unique things about this event, is every child receives a gift they put on their list to Santa. This wonderful event...

Sage — McKnightSavannah Deshae Sage and Ricky Mcknight are happy to announce their engagement and forthcoming marriage. The bride-elect is the daughter of Joel and Mary Beth Sage of Dover. Savannah is a 2006 graduate of Dover High School. She attended Arkansas Tech University and received a Doctor of Pharmacy degree in 2014, at UAMS College of Pharmacy. She is currently employed as a pharmacist at Walmart. The prospective groom is the son of Doug and Karen M...

Panel, owner to resume talksMembers of the Russellville Historic District Commission (RHDC) will meet at a building at Main Street and Commerce Avenue to help the owner get back on track to finish renovations. Architect Bob Hiegel and building owner Van Christiansen said they could meet with RHDC Chairman Greg Barborek on Friday morning to look at a couple of issues that remain before the owner can receive a certificate of appropriateness (COA) for renovation from the co...

ATU to honor fall 2015 graduatesArkansas Tech University will confer approximately 640 degrees during fall 2015 commencement ceremonies at John E. Tucker Coliseum in Russellville this weekend. Students earning degrees from the Arkansas Tech Graduate College will participate in a 7 p.m. ceremony on Friday, Dec. 18. The 10 a.m. ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 19, will include candidates from the College of Arts and Humanities, the College of Business and the College of Education. I...

River Valley Rewind (Dec. 16, 2015)Percussion section of the Russellville High School Marching Band has been working with the rest of the band all week in preparation for halftime activities during the school’s homecoming game Friday night against Jacksonville. Activities will include a blackout routine during which the majorettes will twirl fire batons and a song by Sheila Lemley, band member. Sheila, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ed Lemley, will perform the Olivia Newton-John hit ...

Arkansas Tech student wins Farm Bureau social media awardLITTLE ROCK — Arkansas Farm Bureau recognized Arkansas Tech University student Lindsey Triplett with the farm group’s social media award for her agricultural advocacy efforts. Triplett received her award at the organization’s 81st annual convention Dec. 3 at the Marriott Hotel and Convention Center in Little Rock. Triplett, 20, from Conway, earned the 2015 AgVocate of the Year award. She is an agricultural business major, with an emphasis in p...

U of O receives $740,000 gift to aid student study abroadCLARKSVILLE — University of the Ozarks received a bequest of nearly three-quarters of a million dollars from the estate of Virginia L. King to endow a fund that will aid students in pursuing study abroad and international program opportunities. King, who died in 2014 in Fayetteville, at the age of 94, was a long-time supporter of Ozarks, providing nearly $1 million to the university, in her lifetime, for scholarships and academic opportunities...

Pottsville woman completes service in FEMA CorpsDENVER — Savannah Connerly, 23, of Pottsville is one of 100 Denver-based young people who recently completed a term of service in FEMA Corps, part of the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) solely devoted to emergency management. During her 10-month term of service, Connerly provided important support to the nation’s emergency management system. Serving on teams of 10 to 12 people, FEMA Corps members travel to disaster-affected...

RHS students attend UAMS orthopaedic workshopsThirty to 40 senior high school girls from central Arkansas, including Russellville, took part in the national Perry Initiative workshop on bone repairs, using orthopaedic and engineering skills. The sessions were to encourage women to become orthopaedic surgeons and engineers. Students learned how to suture, apply casting materials and attach devices used to set and stabilize broken bones alongside UAMS staff including orthopaedic foot specia...

Murton championed fairness for prison inmatesSometimes, an individual has to pay a high price for principles. For Tom Murton, his principles dictated fairness for the least sympathetic in society, prison inmates. However, Murton’s brief but controversial tenure as an Arkansas prison superintendant brought nationwide attention to problems within the state’s prisons. He was born in California in 1928. In the early 1950s, he briefly served in the military and also worked as a deputy U.S. ma...

Paul Harris and The World Famous Cleverlys Trio to perform at Jan. 9 at CHSStraight from Branson, Paul Harris and The Cleverly Trio will perform at 7 p.m. Jan. 9 at the Clarksville High School Auditorium. Paul Harris and the World Famous Cleverlys feature a high-energy variety show filled with hilarious comedy and toe tappin’ bluegrass. For over 20 years, Arkansas native Paul Harris has built his career touring the comedy circuit, opening for major acts like Blake Shelton, Jeff Foxworthy, Band Perry,and Little Big To...

Arkansas Tech University honors alumniThe African-American Chapter of the Arkansas Tech University Alumni Association honored six people for their many contributions to the campus community and beyond during the inaugural Arkansas Tech Black Alumni Weekend on Oct. 9-10. The honorees were recognized during a banquet at Williamson Hall Dining Room following the Homecoming football game on Oct. 10. The award winners are: • Titus Mills, junior from North Little Rock, outstanding stude...